An electronic toll collection system (ETC) has been widely used to automatically collect tolls at a toll gate. Ezpass® is one such an electronic toll collection system. The ETC generally requires a vehicle side device (e.g., “a tag”) located on a vehicle. When a vehicle in which the vehicle side device is installed passes through an ETC toll gate, an antenna located in the ETC toll gate electrically reads account information of the vehicle side device, and the toll is electrically deducted from an account associated with the vehicle side device. A history of payments can be obtained from a website of an ETC operator.
However, the area covered by one ETC system is often limited, and only a vehicle in which a vehicle side device is installed may be able to use the ETC toll gate. For example, when a person is on a business trip and uses a rental car, the person has to pay the toll in cash (or by a credit card) every time the car reaches a toll gate. Further, the person has to record the toll amount or to retain receipts of the toll for reimbursement purposes. In some case, the person has to record the name of the toll gate and/or date and time when the car passes the toll gate. Moreover, access to ETC systems in determining the toll amounts may be a painstaking manual process or may not be allowed (e.g., for security reasons) if attempts are made using automated methods.
Accordingly, there is a need for providing a method, an apparatus or a system that enables a user to track toll amounts and travel distance by utilizing a portable device, such as a wireless phone, and that is independent from ETC systems or devices.